Saturday, 8 February 2014

An amazing recently discovered 11 minute unreleased film of Elvis performing live for the first time in his home town of Tupelo, Mississippi.

What follows is a very rarely seen Video of Elvis as he returns to his home town Tupelo, Mississippi as a star. The show was in the town fairground in the presence of thousands of screaming fans including his mother Gladys , father Vernon and grandmother Dodger. recently discovered Unreleased Film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don’t Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever.

I’m a huge Elvis Presley Fan although I only started getting into Elvis in the latter years. I remember one evening shortly after I was married, so it must of been around 1971, a friend called around to invite us to go to a movie, when I heard it was an Elvis movie I wasn’t that interested but went along for the ride . The movie was called ‘That’s The Way It Is’ and was more a documentary than a drama and followed Elvis as he prepared his first live appearance in 17 years at the brand new International Hotel in Las Vegas, which boasted the largest showroom in the city, scheduling him to perform 57 shows over four weeks beginning July 31 1969.

With his usual backing band of Moore, Fontana, and the Jordanaires declined to participate, afraid of losing the lucrative session work they had in Nashville. Presley assembled new, top-notch accompaniment, led by guitarist James Burton , pianist Glen D Hardin (see photo) and drummer Ronnie Tutt (see Photo) he also included two gospel groups, The Imperials and Sweet Inspirations led by Cissy Huston (Whitney’s mum) Almost as soon as Elvis walked out on stage in Vegas I was sold I was a fan and have been ever since.
I never did get the chance to see Elvis live, he died before I ever went to Las Vegas but I was delighted to meet and interview Ray Walker one of Elvis’s famous backing singer The Jordanaires and Kathy Westmoreland Elvis’s soprano who shared their wonderful memories of their years with Elvis.

I was delighted when, last year, when I was invited to host a show in Marbella staring the TCB Band , Elvis’s band from the Las Vegas years that were with until he died.

This photo was taken backstage with my idol and one of the greatest rock drummers of all time Ronnie Tutt.

FOOTNOTE. Last year I interviewed Barbara Hearn, seen here with a shirtless Elvis listening to one of his new songs in his bedroom at 1034 Audubon Drive, Memphis, Tenn. The year was July 4, 1956. Barbara is the woman that Elvis dated on and off throughout the 1950s and 1960s, starting in high school. The reason for me adding her to this particular article is I remember her telling me that she attended that show at the fair ground Tupelo, Mississippi with Elvis mum and dad. She sat a few rows from the front and couldn’t believe that 11,000 screaming fans (mostly girls) turned out to see her boyfriend.

After the show they all went back to Audubon Drive where Gladys had prepared a meal. What struck Barbara was how grounded Elvis was even after the huge success he just had hours earlier, he helped his mum in the kitchen both serving and cleaning up after the meal. She said very little was spoken about the concert itself as if it was something that only happened to other people not poor country folks as the Presley’s were. It was to all intend and purposes just an ordinary family enjoying an evening meal with their only child and his girlfriend.

ANOTHER FOOTNOTE:
OK! OK it’s not Elvis (as if you were fooled) It is in fact Norman and he’s the minister at Graceland’s Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas that boasts ‘Were the Stars Like To Wed’ When you enter the reception area you are greeted by a wall of celebrity photos and a sign that claims Jon Bon Jovi was married there. Other musicians such as Billy Ray Cyrus, Aaron Neville and members of popular groups such as Def Lepard, KISS, Deep Purple and The Thompson Twins have all tied the knot there as well. Last year Jay Leno even stopped by with plenty of entourage to check out the chapel.

I was invited in to witness a wedding that was about to take place. The couple were in their mid 40’s so I assumed that it wasn’t either one of their first nuptials both were rather worse off from what I assumed was a beer or three. . Walking (staggering and giggling) down the short Isle to the music of Elvis’s with only me in one of the many empty pews to witness this day of their happiness (sad). Norman, sorry I mean Elvis, started off the ceremony in one of the worst Elvis voice impressions I’ve ever heard, by asking the couple in turn did they promise to Love Each Other Tenderly, that they would always be each other’s Teddy Bear and never step on their Blue Suede Shoes promising that that would give each other a Hunk Of Love. At this stage I needed a bucket. With that the couple were announced man and wife and that was it. So if you fancy getting married give Norman a shout at The Graceland’s Wedding Chapel 619 Las Vegas Blvd. (call me if you need a witness)